How we went from having no land and a lack of experience to a life of abundance (And how you can, too)
Hi, I’m Moreno. Welcome to Roots Reconnected!
Once upon a time…
…I was just another city dweller, living by the clock and the calendar, unaware that a completely different life was waiting for me just around the corner.
Ever find yourself wondering if there’s more to life than the 9-5 grind?
That was me.
My journey to pursue a simpler, more self-sufficient life didn't start with a grand vision of living off the land.
It began in the city, where my most significant agricultural achievement was keeping a houseplant alive for a month.
By 2013, I was completely fed up with the 9-5 routine, a lifestyle that felt more like a hamster wheel than a pathway to fulfillment.
I craved something different—though, at the time, 'different' might as well have meant learning to juggle while riding a unicycle.
It’s funny, really.
I never imagined the turn my life was about to take.
2013 - 2017: The Beginnings.
In a leap of faith, or perhaps a moment of madness, I left everything behind for New Zealand, with little more than a backpack and a sense that there had to be more to life.
To finance my travels, I stumbled upon a job that seemed worlds away from anything I'd known: mandarin picking.
With no background in farming, stepping onto that farm was a leap into the unknown.
But then, something clicked.
The singing of the birds at dawn, the dirt under my nails, the satisfaction of harvest—it was like discovering a secret world where work felt like purpose, not punishment.
As I moved from one farm to another, I discovered a deep passion for the simplicity and beauty of farm life.
It was on one of these farms that I was introduced to Permaculture - a word I first thought might be a new type of yoga.
I was relieved to find out it involved plants instead of impossible poses.
Suddenly, everything started to fall into place.
Permaculture wasn't just farming; it was a philosophy that included everything I dreamed of: living a simpler life, being able to take care of our most basic needs, and really getting back in touch with nature.
At least, that’s what I got from following two PDCs (Permaculture Design Certificate Course).
It was then I knew I had to make this dream my reality.
As we started to wrap up our journey, Charlene (my partner in crime and compost), and I decided to fully commit to the lifestyle we had long imagined.
2017 - 2022: The Market Garden
When we got back to France, there was this little piece of land her grandma had, just sitting there waiting for us to get our hands dirty.
So, we jumped right in, tackling everything from digging ponds to planting veggies, starting a food forest, and messing around with compost.
We were all in, ready to try anything and everything.
Our enthusiasm, however, quickly outpaced our experience.
Pretty soon, we were swamped—literally and figuratively.
The land turned into a mini-lake every winter, we bumped into all sorts of rules we didn't know about, and the big dream of living off our land?
Well, it started to feel a bit more like a mountain we weren't quite ready to climb.
It was a reality check that maybe we'd jumped in deeper than we thought.
Facing this, we had to pause and think hard about our next steps.
Going back to a 9-5 job was off the table; that much we knew for sure.
But if we were going to make this work, we needed a plan that actually brought in more than it sent out.
It was clear: to live this dream full-time, we had to figure out a way to turn our passion into something that could pay the bills.
Finding our way to a life of self-sufficiency, we quickly figured out there's no single path to it; you've got to find what suits your own story.
For us, at the time, market gardening was the perfect fit.
At that point, buying land was just not something we could afford.
Renting a little plot gave us the chance to try out this homesteading thing without having to own the land outright.
Those five years running our no-dig market garden weren't just about learning the ropes of organic farming; they were about laying a financial and knowledge-based foundation for our future.
We managed to turn a modest rented patch into a thriving, profitable little farm.
It was our way of showing, not just to ourselves but to everyone around us, that you can live sustainably and still make it work financially.
2022 - Today:
Building an off-grid, self-sufficient homestead from the ground up.
Once we got the farm running smoothly, it felt like the right moment to go after what we’d always wanted: our own piece of land.
Having a place to call our own, somewhere we could sow our ambitions of this lifestyle and actually see them grow.
So, we made the move and bought some land in the Portuguese countryside where we are building our dream homestead from the ground up.
We’ve been on this adventure since early 2013, and it's been a rollercoaster of valuable lessons and memorable mistakes.
Throughout it all, we've been chasing this vision of a life where we're growing our own food, taking control over our own destiny, and living a simple, purposeful lifestyle, surrounded by nature.
It's what keeps us pushing forward.
What began as a personal quest for my family and me has blossomed into something bigger—a mission to empower others on their own journey towards self-reliance.
In every post on our blog and issue of The Reconnected Newsletter, I pour out all the knowledge and experiences I've gathered along the way.
From the raw passion that fuels our days, through the missteps that have shaped our course, to the practical tips that might light your way.
Along the way, I document and share our experiences and hope that you'll find inspiration, motivation, and practical know-how on your own transformative journey.
Whether you're just starting to flirt with the idea of a homestead or you've already taken your first steps towards self-sufficient living, welcome to our world.
Thank you for stopping by and reading this.
When you're ready, start with The Reconnected Newsletter, where once per week, you'll get 1 actionable tip to help you plan, design, and start your own homestead, grow your own food, and live an abundant life worth living.
Join us to explore what practical self-reliance, practiced by real-life enthusiasts, looks like in the real world.